A "New" Used Jazz Guitar: What Amp Suggestions?

[bleujazz3]

I recently acquired a used 2011 Epiphone Sheraton 335-style guitar from GC. The guitar arrived safely in 2 days and was set-up and intonated perfectly for .010 gauge strings. Huge neck, wide nut width makes it feel like an acoustic guitar. According to some YT reviewers, the guitar plays and sustains exceptionally well.

Would like to build a proper user preset (or 3) for this guitar that begins with a good clean amp with plenty of headroom, that adds singing overdrive and sustain. Will primarily be utilized for smooth jazz, jazz blues and traditional jazz.

My preference is a study of smooth jazz currently, with some LC and RF tossed in for good measure.

What amp blocks would you suggest? Am willing to try most anything 6L6-based that doesn't break up too quickly.

The current YT channel of my studysuggests a Line 6 Helix Cali Texas 1 preset. What might be comparable?

 

[Fletcher]

A deluxe reverb or twin would work well.

 

[bleujazz3]

A deluxe reverb or twin would work well.

Thanks. I was thinking something along the lines of a Double Verb, Vibro Verb, or Super Verb (?). Bass / mids added, treble reduced. Something warm and wooly (?) feeling...

Am also considering an ODS-100 Clean with some Zendrive for a singing lead...

 

[henryrobinett]

Carr Roamer, if you like the Deluxe Reverb.

 

[bleujazz3]

Carr Roamer, if you like the Deluxe Reverb.

TBH, I prefer the 6L6 config, not the 6V6. Adds more lower mids, perfect for jazz voicings. The Luxe Verb is voiced slightly higher, not what I'm striving for.

 

[bleujazz3]

Pics of the guitar, just so you don't get the wrong idea it's a Hello Kitty guitar...

 

[marsonic]

I think either a twin reverb or ods-100 clean is the right answer. I’ve also heard good jazz sounds out of ac-30s.

I’d probably use a JTM45 because a) it would work and b) it would be funny.

If the tube type bothers you, you can change it.

 

[Rick]

Give the Band Commander (BandMaster) a try. It’s become my all-around clean amp, and would work nicely with a semi-hollow. As a bonus, dial in a little drive and you can jump out of jazz right into a great edgy rock/blues tone.

 

[Dave Merrill]

One of my favorites for actually-clean tones is the Archean Clean. Maybe a little compression, or not.

 

[bleujazz3]

I think either a twin reverb or ods-100 clean is the right answer. I’ve also heard good jazz sounds out of ac-30s.

I’d probably use a JTM45 because a) it would work and b) it would be funny.

If the tube type bothers you, you can change it.

Am inclined to agree as well. I'm usually not a fan of EL84-based amps, but indeed the Twin or ODS-100 clean. I've already one JTM45 preset built, named Bigfoot, LOL. We'll put the Sheraton thru this and see what happens. My Saturday early is booked, but perhaps later in the day.

Give the Band Commander (BandMaster) a try. It’s become my all-around clean amp, and would work nicely with a semi-hollow. As a bonus, dial in a little drive and you can jump out of jazz right into a great edgy rock/blues tone.

I've heard so many good things from LT when he dials in a Strat, but had thought a humbucker guitar would be too dark. Maybe not! This may be illuminating...

One of my favorites for actually-clean tones is the Archean Clean. Maybe a little compression, or not.

We'll see. Although PRS guitars are among my favorites, I've not quite bonded with their amps. That may require an attitude adjustment on my part. Off to build...

 

[Dave Merrill]

Am inclined to agree as well. I'm usually not a fan of EL84-based amps, but indeed the Twin or ODS-100 clean. I've already one JTM45 preset built, named Bigfoot, LOL. We'll put the Sheraton thru this and see what happens. My Saturday early is booked, but perhaps later in the day.

I've heard so many good things from LT when he dials in a Strat, but had thought a humbucker guitar would be too dark. Maybe not! This may be illuminating...

We'll see. Although PRS guitars are among my favorites, I've not quite bonded with their amps. That may require an attitude adjustment on my part. Off to build...

Personally I don't care so much for PRS gainy tones, they're stiff and uninspiring to me. But that clean amp is just real nice.

 

[bleujazz3]

Personally I don't care so much for PRS gainy tones, they're stiff and uninspiring to me. But that clean amp is just real nice.

LOL. Perhaps the difference is that we are what we "take in." Do I like boneless chicken, or bone-in? Hmm. Sometimes the baked-in flavor requires some bone...hope this inspires the cook in you...

 

[DaveO]

LOL. Perhaps the difference is that we are what we "take in." Do I like boneless chicken, or bone-in? Hmm. Sometimes the baked-in flavor requires some bone...hope this inspires the cook in you...

Or, the alternate, chicken gristle, not quite a real bone but not whimpy boneless wonderbread, LOL, hmm what amp would that be? Crate? Pignose? Fender Champ? Peavy Pacer? Roland JC?

 

[unix-guy]

The current YT channel of my studysuggests a Line 6 Helix Cali Texas 1 preset. What might be comparable?

Just a guess but might that be there TX Star Clean?

Boogie is in California and the amp is a Lonestar...

Edit:
Quick Google search confirmed my guess

 

[bleujazz3]

Just a guess but might that be there TX Star Clean?

Boogie is in California and the amp is a Lonestar...

Edit:
Quick Google search confirmed my guess

Thanks! The YT channel I'd been watching provided the Helix preset for download, and it was a clean amp model. Not especially warm or woody sounding, but clean and articulate. Will need to do some quick research in the amp model guide to determine if the FM9 has something comparable. (Like I can't guess the FM9 doesn't have something similar...sheesh, where's my faith in FAS? )

 

[bleujazz3]

Or, the alternate, chicken gristle, not quite a real bone but not whimpy boneless wonderbread, LOL, hmm what amp would that be? Crate? Pignose? Fender Champ? Peavy Pacer? Roland JC?

Takes me back many years to an outdoor Frampton concert in our capitol city. Our small group of friends had partied up and brought a couple buckets of KFC to the concert for dinner. When we went to toss the buckets and bones, I checked the buckets. We had eaten (or so I surmised) the chicken, cartilage and soft bones. I don't remember exactly, but there were like less than 3 or 4 bones in the bucket, out of 2 buckets of 16 pieces each back in 1976...either KFC had softened the bones and we ate them almost entirely, or the bones went missing that evening...

 

[unix-guy]

Thanks! The YT channel I'd been watching provided the Helix preset for download, and it was a clean amp model. Not especially warm or woody sounding, but clean and articulate. Will need to do some quick research in the amp model guide to determine if the FM9 has something comparable. (Like I can't guess the FM9 doesn't have something similar...sheesh, where's my faith in FAS? )

The Texas Star Clean is the model of the Lonestar, as mentioned

 

[DaveO]

Takes me back many years to an outdoor Frampton concert in our capitol city. Our small group of friends had partied up and brought a couple buckets of KFC to the concert for dinner. When we went to toss the buckets and bones, I checked the buckets. We had eaten (or so I surmised) the chicken, cartilage and soft bones. I don't remember exactly, but there were like less than 3 or 4 bones in the bucket, out of 2 buckets of 16 pieces each back in 1976...either KFC had softened the bones and we ate them almost entirely, or the bones went missing that evening...

Great imagery, reminds me of every time I go to dim sum and my better half and friends orders chicken feet, lord knows, I have tried to eat and appreciate it but no, cant bring my self to grubbing out. btw KFC usually undercooks the birds imo...

 

[bleujazz3]

Great imagery, reminds me of every time I go to dim sum and my better half and friends orders chicken feet, lord knows, I have tried to eat and appreciate it but no, cant bring my self to grubbing out. btw KFC usually undercooks the birds imo...

That time KFC must have kept the pieces in their steamer/warmer for quite a while...bones were soft and chewable...apparently, we might have received more breast meat that would have had chewable bones...I don't recall (can't remember because of our partying at the time) who had or where the thigh/drumstick or wing bones went...

It's also entirely possible that one of my friends (the consummate goof) was playing a trick on us regards where the bones went. This actually seems more plausible now that I think of it...